By Amadou Manjang
The Gambia currently does not have any law that punishes price hike or control prices.
According to the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment, Lamin Dampha, the lack of price control in the Gambia means that price hike does not violate consumer rights.
PS Dampha made this admission during the press briefing on the current situation of the stocks and price of basic food commodities on Monday.
The Consumer Protection Act is geared to ensure the protection of consumer rights as well as encourage fair trade, which is geared towards discouraging businesses from engaging in fraud.
However, PS Dampha said it is difficult to use commodity prices as case in the Consumer Protection Tribunal.
‘If you go to a shop and they told you that a bag of rice is D2300 then you go to another shop and they told you that a bag of rice is D2200 and you said this one has increased his price then you are going to report to Consumer Protection Commission, what would be the case because there must be a violation,’ he said.
He added that there are so many factors such as rent, transportation, and labour that affect the prices of commodities.
He added that without knowing the expenditure on rent, transportation and labour, one cannot provide consumer prices in the country.
PS Dampha said the Consumer Protection Act can punish businessmen for trading of commodities that are not fit for consumption.
At this juncture, the Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment (MOTIE), Baboucarr Ismaila Joof, urged Gambian businesses to use their conscience in pricing food commodities.
The Minister also called all the players or stakeholders in the country’s food chain to ensure that their acts and decisions do not lead to increment on the prices of food.
